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Rowan Regional, Carolinas Medical Center, Sanger Clinic Announce Partnership to Bring New Cardiology Services to Salisbury and Rowan County

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 February 2006, 15:00 CST

Rowan Regional Medical Center, the Smith Heart Institute in Salisbury, Carolinas Medical Center and the Sanger Clinic in Charlotte today announced an agreement that will bring interventional cardiology procedures to Salisbury and Rowan County for the first time.

The new services to be offered at Rowan Regional by a team of cardiologists and specially trained staff from both institutions will provide interventional heart catheterizations involving angioplasty and stents to treat blockages of the coronary arteries and related conditions.

"This agreement between Rowan Regional, Carolinas Medical Center and the Sanger Clinic will significantly enhance the range, quality, and convenience of cardiology services we provide to the people of Rowan County," said Chuck Elliott, Chief Executive Officer at Rowan Regional.

"In the 70th anniversary year of this hospital, we are tremendously excited about what this will mean for the health and well-being of the patients we serve," Elliott said. "It is unprecedented and will provide a much higher level of care for the patients who need cardiology procedures at a facility that is close to their home."

As part of one of the top group of heart physicians in the United States, Sanger Clinic cardiologists will use their decades of expertise to carefully select patients who are appropriate for the procedures at Rowan Regional.

In the last three years Sanger cardiologists have performed over 32,000 invasive procedures, including 5,838 coronary interventions. Clinical protocols will determine which interventional cases will be done at Rowan. About 3,500 cases of the type expected to be done under this program have been done by Sanger interventionalists since 2003. None of these cases needed emergency surgery.

"This is an important, valuable heart procedure whose time has come to be offered safely to patients in Salisbury at Rowan Regional Medical Center," said Dr. Hadley Wilson, Chief of the Cardiology Division at The Sanger Clinic.

"It should no longer be necessary to travel to Charlotte or other centers for this type of heart surgery, and the cardiologists and surgeons of the Sanger Clinic and Carolinas Medical Center are proud to assist Rowan Regional Medical Center in bringing this technology to their patients."

The new services, which will begin later this year, are in addition to cardiology services already provided at Rowan Regional - diagnostic catheterization procedures that determine if blockages exist in a patient's coronary arteries.

Interventional catheterizations, also known as angioplasty, will be a major part of the enhanced cardiology services offered at Rowan Regional. They will be used to treat patients with a coronary artery blockage.

An interventional catheterization involves running a tiny balloon catheter through blood vessels to the place where plaque has significantly reduced or stopped blood flow to the heart muscle.

Once at the site of the blockage the balloon is inflated, pushing the plaque against the walls of the vessel. When the artery is reopened, the balloon is deflated and removed and a stent is inserted to keep the vessel open.

Within a few months, a major component of the new cardiovascular services will move into the Smith Heart Institute, a newly-renovated space of 12,000 square feet. The Smith Heart Institute, created with a $5 million cash contribution from the Wilson L. Smith Family of Salisbury, will encompass all cardiology services at Rowan Regional and will have its own entrance for cardiology patients.

When fully implemented with the physicians from the Sanger Clinic, Carolinas Medical Center and staff from Rowan Regional, cardiology services in Salisbury will include interventional cardiology, the catheterization lab, vascular procedures, stress testing, EKG procedures, echocardiography and the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.

"Rowan Regional is now capable of providing the gold standard in cardiology services, thanks to our partnership with Carolinas Medical Center and the Sanger Clinic," Elliott said. "These additional services, provided in conjunction with the Carolinas' most experienced heart specialists, will enhance what we already have, and provide a great level of comfort for the residents in our community."

EDITORS NOTE: An Additional Sidebar Story about Heart Disease is Attached below for Your Information and Use.

HEART DISEASE NO. 1 KILLER OF MEN AND WOMEN NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY; LIFESTYLE CHANGES CAN REDUCE RISK

Heart disease is an equal opportunity threat when it comes to men and women. Although men usually experience classic symptoms like chest pain or a tingling or aching feeling in the arm, women experience more subtle symptoms such as nausea, fatigue or dizziness. Heart disease ranks nationally and statewide as the No. 1 killer of both sexes.

Cardiovascular disease, which includes diseases of the heart and blood vessels, occurs when deposits of cells, fat and cholesterol build up in the body. According to the American Heart Association, more than 71 million Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. It accounted for about 911,000 or 37.3 percent of all deaths in the United States in 2003.

In North Carolina, heart disease resulted in 17,545 deaths in 2004, including 382 from Rowan County. Heart disease mainly affects people over the age of 65, and children whose parents have heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves.

While the latest statistics show a slight decrease in heart disease among African-American males, African-Americans typically have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians, which can contribute to a higher risk of heart disease, especially among African-American women.

Heart Disease: It's not a man's disease anymore

Most women fear dying from breast cancer, which kills one out of 28 women, but heart disease ranks as the No. 1 killer, claiming the life of one out of every two women. Heart disease ranks first among all disease categories for women and accounts for 40 percent of all female deaths in the United States.

While more women are becoming aware of the dangers of heart disease, many still consider it a man's disease. Several campaigns by the American Heart Association, including the popular "Red Dress Project," have been designed to educate women on their risk factors for heart disease.

It's also important for women to realize that their symptoms are often different than the classic symptoms men experience when it comes to matters of the heart. Women are encouraged to discuss their risk factors with their physicians during their annual check-ups.

Know Your Risks

For both sexes, heart disease risk factors can be divided into two categories: those that can be controlled and those that can't.

Uncontrollable risk factors include age, gender, heredity and race.

Controllable factors that can reduce a person's risk of heart disease include:

-- Cigarette smoking. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smokers. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for sudden cardiac death and a woman's greatest risk factor for having a heart attack.

-- High cholesterol levels. Heart disease risks increase as cholesterol levels rise. Total cholesterol levels should be less than 200 mg. HDL (good) cholesterol should be 50 mg. or higher and LDL (bad) cholesterol should vary from less than 100 mg. (for someone at high risk for heart disease) to less than 160 mg. (for someone at a lower risk). Following a healthy diet can control cholesterol levels.

-- High blood pressure. Ideal blood pressure rate is less than 120/80. High blood pressure combined with the other risk factors greatly increases the risk of heart disease.

-- Physical inactivity. People should strive for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-to-strenuous exercise most days of the week. Physical activity can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure rates.

-- Obesity/overweight. Excess body weight puts a strain on the heart and increases the likelihood of heart disease. Even losing 10 or 20 pounds reduces the risk significantly.

-- Other controllable factors involve keeping stress levels down, limiting alcohol consumption and managing diabetes.

Rowan Regional Medical Center offers a free Coronary Artery Disease Education Class to learn about the risk factors for heart disease and what cardiac rehabilitation options are available.

The class meets the first and third Thursday of each month from 9 - 11 a.m. in the Cardiac Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, 2nd floor, Kiser Medical Office Building at Rowan Regional Medical Center. Call (704) 210-5412 for more information.

Source: Business Wire

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